Living longer
In the hustle of our modern lives, finding a moment of calm can often seem like an insurmountable challenge…I know you feel me, here. The constant rush of business, demanding jobs, family responsibilities, to-do lists, etc., can leave us feeling drained and stressed to say the least. living longer
Even for those of us who naturally thrive on high energy and creative pursuits (that’s me to a T), achieving a state of peace requires intentional effort. Today we’ll explore the importance of cultivating calmness in our lives and I’ll share some practical tools that I use to help me tap into my parasympathetic nervous system – the rest-and-digest mode – even in the midst of chaos..
Embracing Calm Amidst Chaos
Reducing stress may not seem like a sexy topic, but by ignoring it, we’re at risk of remaining in a state of chronic stress that can rapidly age us…NOT ok! The truth is, regardless of our personality type, we all face moments when the weight of responsibilities and the demands of life can become overwhelming. This is especially true for women who juggle numerous roles and responsibilities. living longer
The Impact of Stress on Our Lives
Our perpetual state of busyness can take a toll on our overall well-being and longevity. The stress that accompanies our busy lives can gradually chip away at our health and vitality, shortening our lifespan and diminishing our quality of life (never fear, help is on the way!).
Stressors can range from major life challenges to minor irritations such as phone notifications and traffic jams. It’s crucial to recognize that stress isn’t solely about major problems; even the seemingly insignificant stressors can accumulate and impact our overall well-being, steal our youth, our joy, and cause dis-ease in the body.
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Understanding the Nervous Systems & Being on the Verge of ‘Losing It’
There are two branches of our autonomic nervous system: the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight response, also known as the SNS) and the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest mode, also known as the PNS). The sympathetic nervous systems’ fight or flight response is a protective mechanism that prepares us to react to threats. The SNS often gets a bad rap, but it’s our friend under the right conditions.
On the other hand, the parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for relaxation and rejuvenation, allowing our bodies to recover and restore. The challenge lies in tapping into the parasympathetic mode amidst the constant technological and life-related stressors of our modern lives. Without enough time spent in our PNS, we’re prone to wanting to sell our eye-rolling teen to the first band of gypsies that wander by or engage in hand signals on the road that would make grandma blush (am I alone here?). So, yeah, this blog post may just keep you out of jail 😉
Practical Tools for Cultivating Calmness
Hopefully I’ve made my case for dealing with stress becoming sexy again (or for the first time…I’m all about disrupting the status quo). Here are a few apps that can be easily incorporated into your daily routine. Bottom line, these tools are designed to activate the parasympathetic nervous system and promote relaxation. They are tools in your tool chest so find what resonates the most and implement it daily. living longer
1. Sleep Cycle App: I mentioned this app in last week’s blog but it’s worth bringing up again because it assists in waking up during the lightest phase of sleep, ensuring a gentle start to your day. This helps set a positive tone for the rest of your day and prevents the jarring effects of traditional alarms which, when woken up abruptly in a REM or deep sleep phase can make you feel fatigued and lethargic all day… cue SNS mode!
2. Pause App: This app offers short, scripture-based meditation sessions that guide users to pause, reflect, and find solace in their faith. It’s a powerful way to realign with inner peace and reconnect with the Source of strength. You can choose 1 minute, 3 minute, or 5 minute sessions. It doesn’t take long to realign.
3. NSDR (Non-Sleep Deep Rest): This practice promotes brain plasticity and relaxation, enhancing mental clarity and reducing anxiety. It’s a valuable tool for anyone seeking to find balance in their daily routines. You can find it on YouTube by typing in NSDR or you can download the app called SOM NSDR.
4. Resonance Breathing: This breathing technique involves slowing down your breath, ideally to 5-7 breaths per minute, which harmonizes your heart rate variability, blood pressure, and brainwave function.
It can be practiced through the day, after a workout, before bed, or any time of day. It can even help restore lost sleep by manipulating the body to feel it is more rested. My favorite app I’ve found for this is called Breathing App, but you can also find it on YouTube by searching for Resonance Breathing.
5. Sleep Aid Fan app: This is a white noise app that mimics the soothing sound of a fan. It’s especially helpful when traveling or when a consistent background noise is needed for sleep. We have an actual box fan we run every night in our bedroom but we use the Sleep Aid Fan app when traveling and because it has a few different tones to choose from, we can easily mimic our box fan without toting that sucker around.
Wrapping it Up
In a world that constantly demands our attention, finding moments of calm and peace can feel like an elusive goal, if not a bit of a boring initiative. But by incorporating these practical tools into our daily lives, we can cultivate a sense of equilibrium and recalibration that will become one of your new favorite practices, because a calm state is a sane and rational state from which a healthy mind and body can thrive. living longer
By embracing the power of the parasympathetic nervous system and prioritizing our chill factor, we can improve our longevity, enhance our overall health, and lead more fulfilling lives. Remember, finding calmness isn’t a luxury – it’s an essential component of a balanced and fabulous life!
